provenance

from WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006)
provenance
    n 1: where something originated or was nurtured in its early
         existence; "the birthplace of civilization" [syn:
         {birthplace}, {cradle}, {place of origin}, {provenance},
         {provenience}]
    
from The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
Provenance \Prov"e*nance\, n. [F., fr. provenir to originate, to
   come forth, L. provenire. Cf. {Provenience}.]
   Origin; source; provenience.

         Their age attested by their provenance and
         associations.                            --A. H. Keane.
   [Webster 1913 Suppl.]
    
from Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0
24 Moby Thesaurus words for "provenance":
      beginning, commencement, conception, derivation, fountain, genesis,
      grass roots, head, inception, origin, original, origination,
      provenience, radical, radix, rise, root, source, stem, stock,
      taproot, well, wellspring, whence

    

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